Biological weed control

• One of the remarkable achievements since 1985 was the successful research effort, to control the serious menace of 'African Payal' Salvinia molesta in Kuttanad using a tiny weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae. The weevil has suppressed the weed menace over about 1000 square kilometres in Kuttanad within a short period of two years.

Vermicompost

• Preparation of vermicompost using market and farm wastes and kitchen wastes were standardised.

Mycorrhiza

• Inoculation with V A Mycorrhiza fungi at the time of planting out of tissue culture plantlets improved the survival, growth and establishment of tissue culture plantlets. Inoculation with VAM at the time of planting in the nursery/field improves the growth and tolerance of crop plants agent root pathogens esp. Phytophthora, Pythium, Rhizoctonia and root knot nematodes of several crops.

Trichoderma

• Trichoderma has been recommended as a biocontrol agent for the soil borne plant pathogens.

Soil solarization

• Methods standardised for nursery beds, potting mixture, and main field.

Bee keeping

• Management practices for bee keeping with Italian bees standardised and recommended. The bee enemies brood mite, yellow banded wasp, wax moth, black ants and bee eater birds and Thai Sac Brood Virus of the Indian Honey bee - were identified and control measures suggested.

• A HoneyBee Research & Training Centre was established at Vellayani with ICAR assistance in 1994.

Micro propagation

• Protocols for large scale multiplication by in vitro techniques have been standardised in banana, pepper, pineapple, jack, ginger, cardamom, Kaemferia, orchids and gladiolus. Protocols for red banana, Nendran, Orchid, Anthurium, and pineapple were transferred to KVK, Mitranikethan for commercialisation.

Post harvest technology

• Methods for the preparation of clarified cashew apple juice were standardised and recommended. Methods were also standardised for the preparation of cashew apple syrup, cashew apple juice, cashew apple jam, cashew apple candy, cashew apple pickle, cashew apple chutney, cashew apple vinegar, cashew apple liquor, and cashew apple wine. Patents were obtained for clarified cashew juice, cashew apple liquor and cashew apple wine

Irrigation

• A low cost technology for irrigation - Indigenous Auto irrigator for irrigating potted plants was developed.